Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-09-29
FROM THE ALASKAN FISHERIES.
Interesting Facts Recently Received-A
Great Industry Undeveloped.

Interesting Facts Recently Received-A
Great Industry Undeveioped.
The recent information received by
Manager W. A. Wilcox, Of the American
fish bureau, from the Alaska fisheries il
OF especial interest at this time TO all who
are interested in the of tina
country, and more especially to Ameri
can fishermen. The recent trip of tn,
schooner John Hancock was an excep
tionally successful one. The John Han.
cock brought from the Aleutian islands
S0,0 900 Goldfish. These fish are dried and
average from five to six pounds each, SC
that the trip aggregated between 400, 00O
and 800. 200 pounds. The Hancock also
brought $4,000 worth Of furs. In the
near future the Alaskan fisheries may be
a great field for the surplus fishermen on
the Atlantic coast, if reciprocity in fish
with Canada is consummated.
DIR. Tarleton ii. Bean, Of the Smith
sonian institution. enumerates seventy
five species of food fishes in Alaskan
waters, over sixty Of which he claims to
be- strictly adapted to the use Of man,
while the remainder come under the
heading only as bait for catching the 9th.
ers. OF the sea fishes the Goldfish stands
foremost in quantity as well as in com
mercial importance.
Within a short time after the purchase
Of Alaska by the United States. Professor
George Davidson, of the United States
coast survey, stated that the soundings of
Behring sea and Of the Arctic ocean north
Of Behring strait indicated the largest
submarine plateau yet known. In the
eastern half Of Behring sea ~soundings of
less than so fathoms are found over an
extent Of IS, 200 square miles. The ex-
tent of the banks in the Gulf Of Alaska,
between longitude 1870 dogs. and 10
degs., and latitude go degs. and "a degs.,
has not thus far been estimated, but it is
probably equal to that Of the. banks of
Behring sea. In general terms il may be
stated hat the Goldfish is found around
the whole south shore of Alaska. Its
distribution on banks properly begins,
however, with the straits of Fuca. though
it is found occasionally as far south as
the Farallones. A few schooners fish in
British Columbia waters, especially near
the Alaskan lane, The fish is quite abun-
dant in many Of the channels Of the
Alexandria archipelago, and is found in
Takutat lay, off the southern and west
,ern shore of kalak island in Prince Will
lam sound.
The first large bank after crossing the
southern boundary Of Alaska is found in
Chatham strait, but another and smaller
bank lies in Peril strait, between Baranof
and Chicagof islands. The next bank of
general Importance is the Portlock bank,
located by the explorer of that name,
along the southeastern coast of Afognak
and Kadiak islands. The soundings of
this bank are from As to 90 fathoms.
Some distance 10 the southeast of Kadiak,
In latitude so dogs, Is Minis. and longi-
tude 1853 dogs. 20 Minis, there is an
other bank with soundings of 90 to 25
fathoms. To the southwark is found
SimeOno bank, discovered in 1857. The
famous Shumagin banks are located
around Nagai. Popof and Ounga islands,
hHll ~ bihbll ulnldlllt vi lnt sflDTt.
Most Of the shipments Of Goldfish from
Alaska to San Francisco are made from
this vicinity, the banks heretofore named
being worked almost exclusively for local
consumption.
A very prolific Goldfish bank exists in
side of Captains harbor, with shallow
s~oundings of from 10 TO 90 fathoms. The
westernmost Goldfish hank definitely
located in the Aleutian chain Of islands
has soundings Of 80 fathoms. Many
such banks exist in the vicinity of the
Aleutian islands, but these rich stores of
food fish will probably remain undis-
turbed for some time TO come. Even
the banks enumerated here are merely
SKINNED as IL were of their abundant
produce, the fishing being done chiefly
''inshore'' in dories, boats and canoes,
the schooners engaged in the business
being employed almost exclusively as
carriers of the catch.
The codfishery Of Alaska may be con-
sidered as in its infancy. Since Capt.
Turner, of the schooner Porpoise, sailed
rom San Francisco in the spring Of 1866,
and returned in the same year, after a
brief visit to Queen Charlotte islands and
The Shumagin group, with a cargo Of
marketable Goldfish, the industry opened
by this pioneer has not developed in such
4 degree as might have been expected
from the almost unlimited supply and the
favorable location of the banks.
As has been stated. no deep sea fishing,
such as is carried on in the north Atlantic,
exists in Alaska. In the channels Of the
Alexander archipelago the fishing for cod
has until lately been confined altogether
TO the natives Of the Thinket tribes, who
opposed all attempts Of white men to
compete with them in this particular in
]ustry. The few small sloops engaged in
The business in this region depended alto
gether upon the inclination of these natives
TO exert themselves in obtaining their
cargoes. These fishermen use their own
appliances, fishing with bark lines and
wooden, iron pointed hooks, and two mer
in a canoe feel satisfied with a catch Of
thirty OF forty fish, which they sell at 9
comparatively high rate TO the captains
Of the sloops, and thus it happens these
crafts are frequently detained for many
weeks awaiting a cargo that could easily
have been secured within five or six days
by white men.-Gloucester Cor. Boston